Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates

• With the announcement of the ceasefire and the apparent opening of the Strait, the situation on the ground still remains unclear as carriers are yet to announce any update on their plans for either short term or permanent return to routing via the Hormuz Strait
• Situation across the Middle East remains highly dynamic, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, multiple vessel attacks, and widespread carrier suspensions.
• All major carriers have now halted/alternated bookings to/from or via Arabian Gulf ports, and surcharges continue to escalate.
• Port operations are technically open in most locations but are functionally constrained due to the lack of vessel calls, congestion, and yard‑space limitations, congestions building up.
• DGF Ops, Trade, and Crisis Calls remain activated with full vessel and shipment visibility, exception handling, and daily cross‑functional alignment.

• UAE – All ports operational
  • Operations were suspended at Khor Fakkan port on 6^th April due to an incident on Sunday. However, the port is now partially operational again as of 7^th April morning
  • Khor Fakkan Port not accepting any containers for Exports neither empties nor laden to manage the terminal capacity
  • Reports of congestion building up and waiting times possibly going up to 7-10 days
  • Gulftainer applies an Emergency Operational Recovery Surcharge of $100/Container, effective 15^th March 13
    • This surcharge applies to container handling services performed at Khor Fakkan Commercial Terminal (KCT)
  • For containers arriving via Khor Fakkan POD, the same can be booked until Sajaa or Mileeha ICDs thereby helping to avoid truck congestion at the port
  • Fujairah Port only container Terminal operational
• Kuwait
  • Shuwaikh – Partially Operational
  • Shuaiba - Partially operational
• Saudi Ports – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational
• Hamad – Operational
• Bahrain – Operational
• Oman
  • Sohar – Operational
    • Laden containers can only be gated in 5 days prior to vessel ETA
    • IMDG, OOG and BBK cargo is subject to prior approval for both import and export
    • No pre-cooling and container washing services available
    • Max. number of container moves per vessels limited to 3,000 TEUs
  • Salalah – Partially operational
  • Duqm – Operational, but DG shipments not allowed
• Beirut – Operational
• Aqaba – Operational

Across all major liners:

• Full suspension of bookings to/from Arabian Gulf ports; all carriers have now officially stopped accepting any services via Hormuz.
• Service omissions, early voyage terminations, diversions, and Cape of Good Hope rerouting widely in effect.
• Reefer, DG, and Special Cargo restrictions are now industry‑wide.

Examples:

• Maersk accepting only bookings up to Sohar & Khor Fakkan
• Maersk still only accepting Empty Return at Salalah, Jeddah and Sohar
• MSC: EoV declared for all Gulf‑bound shipments (3 March). Diversion & mandatory USD 800/container surcharge applied. Numerous emergency surcharges active.
• Evergreen, YML: Broad suspensions to Upper Gulf.
• CMA CGM: Broad booking halt; Clause 10 activated on multiple vessels; Suez routings suspended.
• Maersk: Wide‑scale suspension of Gulf & ISC lanes; reefer/DG stops; FM1/ME11 suspended; acceptance only for essential cargo.
• Hapag-Lloyd: No Gulf bookings except Jeddah.
• SeaLead: Continues via Bab al Mandab (isolated case).

• No information or declarations from Carriers

• Surcharges & Cost Implications: As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, carriers may introduce additional charges to compensate for increased operational and security‑related risks. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
• War Risk Surcharge: Given the heightened regional security environment, carriers and insurers may introduce or adjust war‑risk premiums. These may apply to cargo already in transit as well as to new and future bookings.
• Emergency Surcharge (ES): At least one major carrier has announced an Emergency Conflict Surcharge, and additional carriers may implement similar measures depending on how operational conditions develop.
• Bunker Adjustment Charge (BUC): With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and suspended transits through the Bab Al Mandab Strait, many vessels are now rerouting via significantly longer alternatives, including the Cape of Good Hope. Rising oil prices driven by these disruptions are expected to push global bunker costs upward, and carriers are likely to pass on these additional fuel‑related expenses.

• MSC has temporarily suspended all exports bookings from Sohar and Salalah until further notice
• MSC arranging vessel connections to Gulf for containers discharged in India and Sri Lanka  
• Dwell times increasing across impacted ports (up to 10 days); Ops teams monitoring in real time.
• Carriers issuing early voyage terminations, port omissions, return voyages and forced diversions.
• Extended or special F/T do not apply any longer on any of the diverted shipments, and will be changed to either standard or zero days
• F/T removal though applies to all diverted shipments, but we see that for shipments diverted to Khor Fakkan this needs to be strictly followed as the Terminal is taking these steps to avoid the buildup of any congestion 

• Spot rates increasing sharply, with multiple GRIs in effect.
• Rising oil prices expected to elevate bunker levels.
• Port & transshipment congestion likely in Gulf and Asian hubs as re-routings intensify.
• Equipment imbalance emerging due to suspended flows and empty‑return bottlenecks.
• Freight tariffs (M‑level) centrally expired for MEA & Israel due to market volatility.

• Due to foreseeable impact on jet fuel price, carriers started to introduce FSC increases
• Indirect impact: Routing changes on EU-AP and AP-EU lanes lead to increased operating cost
• Alternative routings of GCC bound shipments will attract additional lead times and rate adjustments 

• Rates adjustments: Airfreight rates to Middle East region have been suspended, rate levels to other regions will be updated on regular basis including temporary adders
• Airfreight rate originating from Europe, Asia and Americas will be subject to temporary adders on lane level
• Fuel surcharges subject to increase

• UAE customs is operational and all is working as of now

• Customs Operational in all ports

• Kuwait customs is operational and all ports are functioning - But airspace is closed

• Hamad International Airport: Customs operational in all ports
• Hamad Port: Customs operational in all ports
• Abu Samra Border: Customs operational in all ports

• Bahrain Airport Services:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• Khalifa Bin Salman Port:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• King Fahad Causeway:  no operation at airport and sea port today 

• Airport: 
  • customs operational in all ports
• Seaport:
  • Apart from Salalah port, Customs operational 

• BGW, EBL and BSR Airpots / UQ: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended
• IKB border with Turkey: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended

Is the Strait of Hormuz fully open for commercial shipping? 

No. Shipping lines are taking a cautious approach and are first prioritizing evacuation of vessels trapped in the Arabian Gulf. A full and stable reopening will take time.

How long will it take to return to normal ocean freight operations? 

Industry guidance shared in the webinar indicates recovery will take several months due to congestion, displaced containers, and schedule realignment.

Which ports are currently operational? 

Ports including Khor Fakkan, Sohar, Jeddah and Bahrain are operational, but congestion remains high following temporary closures and diversions.

What is the congestion situation at Khor Fakkan and Sohar? 

Both ports are heavily congested, with vessels sometimes unable to fully discharge and containers being rerouted back to origin or alternate hubs.

Are dangerous goods accepted at Middle East ports? 

Dangerous goods acceptance depends on class and port. Jeddah is more flexible, while Eastern UAE and Omani ports require additional approvals.

What is the expected transit time from Jeddah to UAE? 

Trucking from Jeddah to UAE typically takes around seven to eight days, depending on border and congestion conditions.

Has DHL Express resumed shipments to Israel? 

Yes. DHL Express operates multiple weekly flights into Tel Aviv and also serves Haifa via Cyprus ferry connections.

Can DHL fly directly into Bahrain and Kuwait? 

No. Bahrain and Kuwait remain restricted. DHL continues to use Riyadh and Muscat as alternative air hubs.

What is the air freight capacity situation from India? 

Capacity remains tight with higher rates, but solutions include Gulf carriers, charters, and hub-based routing via Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Are pharma and temperature-controlled solutions available? 

Yes. A dedicated life-science charter from Liège to Jeddah operates multiple times per week with GCC-wide distribution.

How are shipments to Beirut handled? 

DHL routes cargo via Cyprus with onward sea connection to Beirut, with door-to-door transit times of approximately seven to ten days.

Have air transit times increased into the GCC? 

Yes. Routing via Riyadh and Muscat adds approximately one to two days compared to pre-crisis direct flights.

Are GCC borders open for road freight? 

Yes. Borders remain open, though congestion and temporary closures such as the King Fahd Causeway can occur.

Are there driver nationality restrictions? 

Yes. Some nationalities face entry restrictions, which DHL manages through a larger pooled fleet and driver planning.

Can loose cargo transit Saudi Arabia by road? 

Loose cargo transit remains challenging. Saudi regulations require palletized cargo and non-compliance may result in fines or rejection.

Is the Egypt–GCC landbridge via Alexandria operational? 

Yes. Cargo can be transferred to trucks in Alexandria and moved via Safaga and Duba, following Egyptian customs procedures.

Can flexitanks move via the Egypt landbridge? 

This depends on the commodity and HS code and must be assessed case by case.

Are road freight rates increasing? 

Yes. Higher fuel costs, driver constraints, and demand are pushing road freight rates upward.

Can DHL secure trucks faster than carriers? 

Yes. DHL has secured additional fleet capacity to support faster inland connections when containers arrive.